Mapless Journey

A Generation of Chinese Youth Finding Their Own Path in a Time of Transformation

“Mapless” is not about having lost your way or clueless . . . It is being part of the times. In an age of rapid transformation, no one has a clear map for navigating their way. Some people consistently push the borders between independence and constraint; some toggle between urban and rural areas; some push as hard as they can based on algorithms; some seek light in the cracks of reality; some crave certainty in unstable work; and some want to maintain a sense of self in lives quantified and assessed at virtually all times of day. Mapless Journey highlights ten groups of young people in twenty captivating life stories. They fall, stray, succumb, and regroup, transforming each mistake into a new opportunity. This is neither a plan for achieving success nor a glorification of idealized youth. Rather it is a renowned scholar's attempt to better understand the younger generation navigating the challenges of the modern world. When the future is uncertain and answers are no longer simple, each of us must accept our own mapless journey. May this travelogue give you the strength to continue your forward progress, and may it aid you in channeling the openness and enthusiasm that has always been inherent in youth. Purchase on Amazon
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ISBN: 979-8-90026-561-2
Imprint: Amplify Publishing
Categories:Amplify Publishing, Business and Finance, Inspiration and Personal Success, Politics and Current Affairs

“What kind of youth can be considered not to have been wasted? When society cheers for the ‘climbers,’ can we still maintain the possibility of a way of life that grows slowly and blooms quietly? In this book, Professor Lian Si breaks away from the rigid style of traditional academic reports. Combining scholarly rigor with profound humanistic insight, he presents a vivid and authentic portrait of contemporary youth. The result is a deeply perceptive work that enriches our understanding of young people in China today.”

—Han Yuhai, Professor at Peking University

“This book does not promote a single struggle narrative or fabricate success stories. Instead, it explores how young people, amid increasingly fierce competition for social mobility, question, persevere, learn, and grow. Every seemingly ordinary story in this book reveals a profound response to social structures. Every thought-provoking essay inspires us to reexamine the myriad possibilities youth offers.”

—Yan Yilong, Professor at Tsinghua University

“This is a work of in-depth observation that takes youth as its entry point, China as its setting, and the current era as its backdrop. Here, stories are not mere footnotes, and theory is not merely abstract. It reveals how the transformations of a nation are woven into the everyday lives of ordinary young people.”

—Zhang Feian, Professor at Renmin University of China

“This is a heartfelt work dedicated to the youth of contemporary China, a book written for those who are currently navigating their youth, constantly searching for direction, and carrying both anxiety and hope. It is also for those who were once young and are still seeking new breakthroughs and opportunities for self-renewal. Open its pages, and you may discover reflections of your own story within . . .”

—Chu Yin, Professor at Sichuan University of Media and Communication

“As the world seeks to understand China, its most revealing lens may not be the economy but its youth. By telling the stories of ordinary young people navigating a society undergoing profound transformation, Mapless Journey offers an indispensable perspective on the forces shaping not only China today but also how its next generation will live, work, and find meaning in the years ahead.”

—Li Cheng, Professor of Politics and Public Administration, University of Hong Kong; board member, National Committee on US–China Relations

Lian Si

Distinguished Professor and Scholar

Lian Si holds a PhD from Renmin University of China and is Executive Vice President of China Youth University of Political Studies, a chair professor and doctoral supervisor, a postdoctoral fellow at Peking University, a “Huiyuan Distinguished Professor” and a “Huiyuan Distinguished Scholar” at the University of International Business and Economics, a visiting scholar in the Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago, and a Zheng Gang Visiting Scholar at the School of Sociology, Nanjing University.

He is a leading figure in philosophy and the social sciences under the National Major Talent Program and among the inaugural cohort of its top young talents, a national cultural luminary, and an “Outstanding Talent of the New Century” recognized by the Ministry of Education. He serves as Chief Expert for Major Projects of the National Social Science Fund and as an expert committee member of the National Medium- and Long-Term Youth Development Plan, among other roles.

He pioneered sociological concepts such as the “Ant Tribe,” “Worker Bees,” and “Hummingbirds,” and is hailed as a “keen observer of China’s emerging social groups.” The research team he leads is renowned for its expertise in fieldwork—long-term, in-depth observation among diverse social groups—and for its ability to penetrate social strata, engage across communities, and bridge disciplinary boundaries. His works, including The Ant Tribe, The Worker Bee, The Tyranny of Time, and Modernity’s Painkiller, have sparked strong reactions and widespread debate.

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